Fried Edible Silk Moth Pupae

Silkworms have an awful lot going for them. Not only are they used to make sumptuous Thai silk garments but their pupae by-products are tasty too! Sometimes, when you feel like a late-night snack and nothing else will quite hit the mark, you find yourself craving the larvae of the domesticated silk moth. What else?

Silkworms have a crunchy exterior and, reportedly, the taste and texture of mashed potato inside when fresh! Ours can be eaten straight from the bag and are low in fat, high in protein and a great source of essential fatty acids. The nutritional alternative to toast and biscuits.

The percentages of total protein and lipid contents by dry weight were 55.6 and 32.2%, respectively. Silkworm pupae protein had high levels of essential amino acids such as valine, methionine and phenylalanine. The contents of essential amino acids in silkworm pupae protein satisfied the FAO/WHO/UNU suggested requirements (2007). In addition, they also possessed n-3 fatty acids, especially α-linolenic acid (36.3%), as a major component. The 50% ethanol extract of silkworm pupae contained 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), which is a potent α-glucosidase inhibitor. These results suggest that silkworm pupae are a new source of high quality protein, lipid, and α-glucosidase inhibitor.